Joypurhat District facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joypurhat District জয়পুরহাট
District of Bangladesh
Shrine near Patharghata
Location of Joypurhat in Bangladesh
Country	Bangladesh
Division	Rajshahi Division
Established	February 26, 1984
Area
• Total	965.4 km2 (372.7 sq mi)
Population  (2022 census)
• Total	956,430
• Density	990.71/km2 (2,565.92/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Joypurhati, Rajshahiyo
Time zone	UTC+06:00 (BST)
Postal code	5900

Joypurhat (Bengali: জয়পুরহাট) is a district located in the northern part of Bangladesh. It is part of the Rajshahi Division. This area is known for its rich history and important rivers.

History of Joypurhat

How Joypurhat Got Its Name

For a long time, Joypurhat was ruled by the Pala Empire and later the Sena dynasty. Not much was known about its history until the 16th and 17th centuries. The area was first called Baghabarihat. Later, it was also known as Gopendraganjahat.

A police station, called Lalbazar Thana, was set up. It covered the areas of what are now Joypurhat Sadar Upazila and Panchbibi Upazila. This police station was located near the Small Jamuna River. Lalbazar Thana was a busy town back then. People used the Small Jamuna River for travel and trade.

Over time, the area's borders changed. In 1821, a new district called Bogra District was formed. It included parts of Dinajpur, Rangpur District, and Rajshahi District. Lalbazar Thana, Khetlal Upazila, and Badalgachhi Upazila became part of Bogra.

In 1884, a railway line was built from Kolkata District to Jalpaiguri District. Eight railway stations were built in what is now Joypurhat District. The station in this area was first called Baghabari railway station.

People started moving closer to the railway line. The areas near the river became less important. The name 'Baghabari railway station' was changed to Joypurhat railway station. From then on, the whole area became known as Joypurhat. Some people believe Joypurhat was named after King JoyPal of the Pala Empire, who once ruled here.

Geography of Joypurhat

Rivers Flowing Through Joypurhat

Joypurhat District has five main rivers:

• The Small Jamuna River flows through Joypurhat Sadar Upazila and Panchbibi Upazila.
• The Tulshiganga River passes through Joypurhat Sadar Upazila, Khetlal Upazila, and Akkelpur Upazila.
• The Chiri River flows through Panchbibi Upazila.
• The Haraboti River passes through Panchbibi Upazila.
• The Sree River flows through Chakbarkat in Joypurhat Sadar Upazila.

Climate in Joypurhat

Joypurhat has a Tropical climate. This means it gets a lot of rain, especially in summer. According to the Köppen climate classification system, the average yearly temperature is about 25.4°C. The average yearly rainfall is 1738 mm.

The driest month is December, with only about 3 mm of rain. The wettest month is July, with an average of 364 mm of rain. August is the warmest month, with an average temperature of 28.9°C. January is the coolest month, with an average temperature of 18°C.

The amount of rainfall changes a lot between the driest and wettest months. The average temperatures also vary by about 10.9°C throughout the year.

People of Joypurhat

Population and Literacy

According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, Joypurhat District has 956,430 people. About 23.4% of them live in cities. There are 269,904 households in the district. The population density is about 945 people per square kilometer. The literacy rate (people aged 7 and over who can read and write) is 73.6%. This is very close to the national average for Bangladesh, which is 74.7%.

Religions in Joypurhat

Most people in Joypurhat District are Muslim, making up 89.66% of the population. Hindus are the second largest group at 8.83%. Christians make up 0.53% of the population. Other religions, mainly Sarna, account for 0.97%.

Religion in present-day Joypurhat district

Religion	Population (1941)	Percentage (1941)	Population (2011)	Percentage (2011)
Islam	165,275	73.46%	819,235	89.66%
Hinduism	47,664	21.18%	80,696	8.83%
Tribal religion	11,929	5.30%	8,888	0.97%
Christianity	130	0.06%	4,822	0.53%
Others	2	0.00%	127	0.01%
Total Population	225,000	100	913,768	100%

There are also ethnic minority groups, like the Santals, who make up about 2.53% of the population.

Economy of Joypurhat

Joypurhat's economy mostly depends on farming. Farmers grow seasonal crops like rice, potatoes, wheat, onions, mangoes, jackfruits, and bananas. The district also grows a lot of sugarcane. It is home to Joypurhat Sugar Mill's Limited, which is the largest sugar mill in Bangladesh.

Besides farming, Joypurhat has many industries, rice mills, and poultry farms. It exports many farm products to other places. The Hili land port is very close to Joypurhat. This means many people from the district work in import and export businesses through this port. Most of the vehicles from this port travel through Joypurhat. This makes the district a good place for many types of businesses.

Joypurhat sugarmill at dusk

Arts and Culture

Joypurhat has a rich folk culture, which means it has many traditional songs, dances, and stories. In the past, during the British Raj period, many festivals were held. These included performances like keerton, jaree, palagaan, kabigaan, baul, murshidee, lokgeeti, bhaoyaiya, and jattra.

After the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, many cultural groups were formed in the district and its sub-districts. One of these groups is the Drama Circle.

Places to Visit

Jamalganj is a town about 10 km southwest of Joypurhat. Near Jamalganj, about 6 km northwest, is Pahar Pur (Buddhist Bihar), also known as Sompur Bihar. This is a very old and important place that shows the history of philosophy, architecture, art, and sculptures in the region. It is recognized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as a World Heritage Site.

Jamalganj is also known for its traditional market, which serves the surrounding areas. It is famous for its farm products like bananas, paddy (rice), wheat, and potatoes. Jamalganj is also known for its coal and cement.

How Joypurhat is Governed

Sub-districts (Upazilas)

Map of Joypurhat District; Joypurhat Sadar Upazila, Panchbibi Upazila, Khetlal Upazila, Akkelpur Upazila, Kalai Upazila

Joypurhat District is divided into five smaller areas called sub-districts or upazilas:

Municipalities

Joypurhat District has five municipalities. The current Deputy Commissioner (DC) is Mohammad Yasin, and the Mayor is MD Mustafizur Rahaman Mostak.

Parliamentary Seats

Joypurhat has two seats in the national parliament: Joypurhat-1 and Joypurhat-2. These seats are represented by elected members of parliament (MPs).

Transportation

Roads in Joypurhat

Joypurhat has a total of 342.59 km of paved roads, 61.59 km of semi-paved roads, and 1569 km of unpaved roads.

Railway Stations

There are eight railway stations in Joypurhat District, with a total of 38.86 km of railway lines.

• Joypurhat railway station, in Joypurhat Sadar Upazila
• Panchbibi railway station, in Panchbibi Upazila
• Jamalganj railway station, in Akkelpur Upazila
• Akkelpur railway station, in Akkelpur Upazila
• Jafarpur railway station, in Akkelpur Upazila
• Tilakpur railway station, in Akkelpur Upazila
• Bagjana railway station, in Panchbibi Upazila

The Joypurhat railway station was built in 1884 during the British Raj period. It is a very important railway station in northern Bangladesh.

Education in Joypurhat

Joypurhat District has 27 colleges. Some of the well-known ones include Joypurhat Government College, Akkelpur Mujibar Rahman College, and Joypurhat Government Women's College (started in 1972).

Joypurhat Girls' Cadet College, founded in 2006, is a special military high school and college just for girls.

Some notable secondary schools in the district are R.B. Govt. High School (1946), Haripur High School (1917), and Khanjanpur High School (1901).

Religion in Joypurhat

Joypurhat District has many places of worship. There are 2573 mosques, which are Muslim places of worship. Many of these mosques also have libraries. There are 424 temples for Hindus, 21 churches for Christians, and 18 Buddhist temples. One famous mosque is the Hinda - Kasba Shahi Mosque.

Famous People from Joypurhat

See also

In Spanish: Jaipurhat (zila) para niños

• Districts of Bangladesh
• Rajshahi Division